MOTS-c

MOTS-c – Research Grade

MOTS-c from Cleared Peptides is a research-grade compound supplied for laboratory and analytical investigation. Every lot is third-party tested, and the batch Certificate of Analysis is published before sale. Specifications, CAS number and molecular formula are listed below.

Research use only. MOTS-c is supplied for laboratory research. It is not a drug, food, cosmetic, or dietary supplement. It is not FDA-approved. It is not for human or veterinary administration. This page does not give a dose or a method of administration. A study cited on this page describes that study’s own test article. It does not make this lot an approved medicine. To check a fact, open the PubMed or DOI link, confirm the authors and year, and match the paper’s compound name, CAS number, or sequence to the specification table. The full method is on the research desk page. Identity and purity for a lot are only what that lot’s certificate of analysis reports. An HPLC percentage is not a sterility result and not an endotoxin result unless the certificate prints those tests.

MOTS-c Specifications

MOTS-c in Published Research

MOTS-c (mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA type-c) is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in the mitochondrial genome — one of a small family of mitochondrial-derived peptides.

In-vitro studies have examined MOTS-c in relation to AMPK signaling, folate–methionine cycle metabolites and nuclear translocation under cellular stress. It is often studied alongside SS-31 and humanin.

This summary describes published laboratory research only and makes no claim about effects in humans or animals.

Purity Testing & Certificate of Analysis

Each lot of MOTS-c is analyzed by an independent laboratory, with identity and purity (or composition, for multi-component preparations) reported on a lot-specific Certificate of Analysis. View current results on our COA page.

Storage & Laboratory Handling

Store at −20 °C, sealed, dry and protected from light. Allow vial to reach room temperature before opening. Minimize freeze–thaw cycles and handle according to your institution’s chemical-hygiene procedures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MOTS-c third-party tested?

Yes. Every lot of MOTS-c is tested by an independent laboratory for identity and purity, and the batch Certificate of Analysis is published on our COA page.

Can I see the MOTS-c Certificate of Analysis before ordering?

Yes. Lot-specific COAs are posted on our COA page so you can review analytical data before purchase.

What does Research Use Only (RUO) mean?

RUO products are supplied solely for laboratory and analytical research. They are not medicines, are not for human or veterinary use, and no dosing or administration information is provided.

How should MOTS-c be stored?

Store at −20 °C, sealed, dry and protected from light. Allow vial to reach room temperature before opening.

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Research Guides

Learn more: MOTS-c research guide · SS-31 (elamipretide) research guide

Written by the Cleared Peptides Research Desk, the editorial desk of Cleared Wellness Group LLC. This is not a personal profile of a physician or a scientist, and it is not a fictional author. The checking method is public on the research desk page. Last reviewed October 2026.

MOTS-c research note: a mitochondrial 16-mer, made here by synthesis

Research use only. This MOTS-c material is for laboratory research, CAS 1627580-64-6. It is not a drug. Lee’s mouse experiments are not a protocol for this vial, and this page does not give a dose.

What Lee and colleagues defined

Lee, Zeng, Drew, Sallam, and colleagues (Cell Metabolism, 2015) reported a short open reading frame inside the mitochondrial 12S rRNA that encodes a 16-residue peptide they named MOTS-c, for mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA type-c. They distinguish it from humanin, an earlier mitochondrial open-reading-frame peptide. The mechanism they propose is metabolic: the peptide acts on skeletal muscle, inhibits the folate cycle and the de novo purine synthesis tied to it, and activates AMPK. In mice, they report effects on age-dependent and diet-induced insulin resistance and on diet-induced obesity. Those are the paper’s experiments. PubMed 25738459, DOI 10.1016/j.cmet.2015.02.009.

The catalog sequence is the same 16 residues: Met-Arg-Trp-Gln-Glu-Met-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Phe-Tyr-Pro-Arg-Lys-Leu-Arg, formula C101H152N28O22S2, mass about 2174.6 g/mol. Two methionines and a tryptophan make oxidation products a real impurity question. The synthetic peptide in a vial was not translated by a mitochondrion. Mitochondrial origin in the paper is a genetic claim about the open reading frame. It is not a claim about how this lot was manufactured. Identity is the synthetic mass.

Not tesamorelin, and not SS-31

Tesamorelin is a 44-residue GHRH analogue studied by Falutz and colleagues as a drug in adults with HIV. There is no MOTS-c plus tesamorelin blend in this catalog. The reasons are written out in MOTS-c and tesamorelin. SS-31 is a four-residue cardiolipin-targeted peptide, mass about 639.8 g/mol. The research set of the two mitochondrial materials is MOTS-c + SS-31, sold as two articles, not as one sequence.

How to verify this note

1. Open Lee 2015 and confirm the 12S rRNA open reading frame, the 16-residue length, and the AMPK / folate-cycle proposal.
2. Match CAS 1627580-64-6 and both sulfur atoms in the formula (two methionines). Humanin is a different peptide.
3. Keep mouse endpoints in the paper. Keep this lot on the certificate.

Selected References

Related Research Compounds

• SS-31 (Elamipretide)
• MOTS-c + SS-31 Research Set
• NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide)
• 5-Amino-1MQ
• AICAR
• SLU-PP-332
• Humanin

Research Use Only

For laboratory research use only. This product is not a drug, food, cosmetic or dietary supplement, is not FDA-approved, and is not intended for human or veterinary use or for the diagnosis, treatment, cure, mitigation or prevention of any disease. No dosing, administration or therapeutic information is provided. Sold only to qualified researchers; the purchaser is responsible for safe handling and compliance with all applicable laws and institutional requirements.